


first impressions (never) last

by hahahaharlequin



Series: BAEK My DAE [3]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-05-14 19:37:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14775932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hahahaharlequin/pseuds/hahahaharlequin
Summary: Prompt Code:#234Warnings:NoneSummary:A series of instances that lead to the greatest (and the funniest!) love story ever told.Author's Note:I'm SO sorry that this took me too long to write, and finish! The ending seems a bit rushed, so there will be a follow up soon! I hope this suffices, and I apologise to the prompter and mods again!! I wasn't so sure if I even finished it the way I had originally planned (school was such a bummer ugh)





	first impressions (never) last

Growing up, Byun Baekhyun had always been taught by his own mum that  _ "First impressions matter!"  _ He was trained to sit and stand with proper posture, to greet appropriately, to be careful with his words and what he might say, and be a good person in general.

It wasn't too hard, being taught all these at such a young age. And who would have thought that twenty years later, they would all be put to good use…

 

_ Not. _

  
  


**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

Jongdae had been on this dating app a couple of days now, and he's only seen, and gotten messages from shady, and old men who were most. Definitely. NOT his type.

Were his not-so-impressive selfie taking skills not enough? He also had pictures of him with his Shiba pup, Kani. The pup had been overly excited and was more than glad to take pictures with Jongdae.

Sighing, Jongdae turns off his phone. His break was over in less than five minutes, and there are tables to be waited at, as his boss had told him over chat.

He takes one good look of himself in the mirror, slightly arranging his fringe so they're not too messy as they usually would be; deciding he looked decent enough, he goes back out to the front.

 

**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

 

Baekhyun was, as what most people who knew him would say, a smooth talker. Which was probably the reason why he's seated in a fairly good, slightly fancy, yet not too pricey restaurant right now.

And sitting across him was the cute and really nice senior he had always been pining after. Said senior had been all smiles and thanks since getting inside the restaurant.

How he got her to agree will be one of  _ the  _ most unforgettable moments of his college life.

 

And he's only a freshman!

He'd been pining after the senior since their high school days, though he used to do it secretly. But now, after following her to college, he had gathered enough guts, wit, charm, and humour to (at least try to) woo her.

Most of his attempts ended up backfiring on him, or of him face planting in front of her.

Which, in Baekhyun's defense, still a win since he got the senior to notice him  _ plus  _ laugh.

 

_ Totally worth it! _

 

But alas, those days had been merely weeks ago, and now, after much falling and messing up, the senior had pity (read:  _ 'noticed my impeccable charms and wit!' _ ) on Baekhyun's face, and agreed to go on a date with him.

It may have cost him two months worth of allowance, but  _ eh _ , he thought, it was better than cheap tteokbokki and soju.

All things aside, Baekhyun, for the most part of the date, had been nothing but a shaking, nervous thing. Unbeknownst to him, his senior was eyeing him with worry.

But Baekhyun was just talented enough to throw a smile towards his senior that he was sure would suffice, and erase the worry from his date.

But smiles aren't all that need be seen, or so Baekhyun had to learn the hard way. That, and that actions are  _ still  _ part of someone's presence that needs to be considered.

Baekhyun fails to realise this, but only when he feels chilled wine drip from the tablecloth down to the front of his trousers. Still in a daze, his brain short-circuits, and his reactions came much later than expected.

 

The senior could only gasp, and almost immediately, there was a pair of waiters attending to them, removing their plates and cutlery to replace the table cloth with a new, dry one. Upon placing their plates back onto the clean table top, one waiter mumbled something about replacing the drink Baekhyun had spilled on himself.

The other waiter handed Baekhyun a thick wad of paper towels and a clean table napkin. After he was done drying his pants, the other waiter left them.

And that was when the first waiter to leave returned with Baekhyun's drink. In a sippy cup.

"I'm sorry, but I think you're mistaken," Baekhyun says slowly, eyeing the sippy cup and the waiter holding it, who was sporting a pair of tired eyes that were sparkling with mischief, and a pleasant grin Baekhyun was sure no one would've noticed the saccharine glee behind it.

"Oh no, this is yours, I presume. We wouldn't want another spill now, would you?" The waiter,  _ Chen,  _ as his name tag reads, answers so courteously that Baekhyun's date doesn't even look up from her pasta to check up on them.

Baekhyun looked at the waiter like he had just grown another head, hoping he would get the hint to drop the joke.

 

And drop he did.

 

The waiter placed the sippy cup in front of Baekhyun, gave him a curt bow, wished them a pleasant evening and a nice meal, and left.

Of course, that was when Baekhyun's date decides to look up and join the land of the living.  _ "Is this yours?"  _ She had asked so innocently, Baekhyun couldn't even get mad at her.

Albeit a bit forced, Baekhyun gives his date a smile, and nods.  _ "Well, I guess that waiter was nice enough to give you this so you won't spill your drink on yourself again,"  _ she jokes. Baekhyun just laughs along.

"Yeah," Baekhyun says dryly, as he takes a gulp from the sippy cup.

He was expecting apple juice or some other juice inside, but instead it was the sparkling wine he had spilled.

He takes another sip, and his date watches him in wonder, the creases around her eyes crinkling in delight at the display. And Baekhyun's ego is slightly fluffed.

 

_ Well, at least that waiter had some sense in him. _

 

**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

 

It was another one of those normally paced evenings at the restaurant Jongdae works as a waiter at.

His schooling expenses weren't a happy sight, so getting a part-time job along with the allowance he gets every month from his parents were what gets him by to last him a term.

It was another one of those regularly paced evenings, until now that the manager, Suho, asked for him and another one of the waiters, Jaehyun, to attend to a guest who spilled his drink on his pants.

Normally, Jongdae would laugh at the expense of the victim, but now, Suho was giving him one of his withering looks, so he'd rather not dilly-dally, and he pulls a new tablecloth, some table napkins, and pushes them into Jaehyun's unwilling arms, and pushed him out to the front.

They were ushered to a table of what seemed like a first date. The poor guy didn't look a day older than Jongdae, and he looked like a nervous wreck.

He recognised his date as one of his seniors from college, so he put two and two, and concluded that the guy was probably from the same college as well.

 

Jongdae was just so sure he was never gonna see the guy ever again, he might as well enjoy the evening and the poor guy's mishap.

It took Jaehyun only a couple of strides to reach the table, while Jongdae, the more vertically challenged of the two, had to brisk walk his way across the restaurant.

  
  


Upon realising he had pushed to carrying the stuff to Jaehyun, he made haste with his small, careful steps, making his way through all the tables and waiters serving meals and drinks.

The poor kid was standing awkwardly behind the guy, still hugging at the tablecloth and napkin while looking at Jongdae expectantly.

 

With calculated and practiced precision, he was able to remove the table of the plates, cutlery, and glasses. With that, Jaehyun started moving.

Jongdae’s body remembers the procedure of changing tablecloths so well, it was almost like a blur when he changed them.

 

After having removed the soiled one, and folded it as neatly as he can that his own mum would be proud of him, he gestured for Jaehyun to put the plates back. 

He grabbed the dirtied things back with him, mumbling something along the lines of, 

_ “I will return shortly with a replacement for your drink,”   _ as he made his way to the back.

 

On his way, he dumps the cloths in the hamper beside the employees’ lockers.

Then, he rushes to the kitchen and searches for the main star of his own devious plans.

 

He finds it drying along with the other glasses and cups; its bright colours beckoning for Jongdae to come to it.

The designated dishwashers for the evening shift of that day, Yuta and Johnny, look at Jongdae’s approaching figure.

 

They give him a once over, and upon landing on the elder’s sinister, yet saccharine smile, they too, smiled, and let the man to the already dried glasses and wares.

When he reaches for the cup, from the corner of his eyes, he can see Yuta’s eyebrows disappear into his hairline in shock, while Johnny's figure was shaking with giggles.

  
  


Shooting the two a finger gun each and one last smile, he goes to the giant refrigerator for the drinks where he picks the recently opened bottle of wine for the evening.

He pours some into the sippy cup, almost to its brim, before covering it carefully, and returning the wine back to the fridge.

 

Testing the small cup’s abilities, he tilts the cup to its side, and sure enough, there was but a small drop of its contents that fell on his palm, but eh, it works.

So he, with confidence, brings the cup back to the table, where Jaehyun was just finishing up.

 

The younger notices Jongdae, so he excuses himself so fast, the guests hadn't even blinked.

In an instant, Jongdae was standing beside the male, holding up the sippy cup.

 

The lady was busying herself with the pasta, and Jongdae couldn't blame her, because Kyungsoo was feeling extra generous with the sauce that evening, so Jongdae doesn't bother her, and let’s her enjoy her meal.

While he, on the other hand, will enjoy her date’s reactions.

  
  


**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

 

Jongdae was just so sure the guy would complain, and call for Junmyeon, but alas, the poor guy had played along, and drank from the sippy cup all evening. 

Admittedly, it was cute that the guy wasn't much of a spoilsport, so he was glad at least  _ someone  _ appreciated his sense of humour.

 

That evening, when all the guests had left, and it was time to clean up, Junmyeon pulled him to the side to talk.

“I'm not even gonna ask if it was you, because I'm sure it was you, so I'm gonna ask you  _ why  _  did you give that guest apple juice? And in a kiddie cup?“

 

Jongdae could only roll his eyes. “Jun, it’s called a  _ sippy cup,  _ and no, I did not give him apple juice. I put wine inside.” 

He says confidently, he can hear some snickers coming from the kitchen.

 

His cousin Junmyeon's handsome face was scrunched up in ugly fury, and Jongdae had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop him from guffawing in the elder's face.

“Okay, let's say you  _ did  _ put wine inside, but Jongdae, why on earth a kiddie cup?” Came the manager’s follow up question.

 

“Well, why not? The guy spilled his drink, and how can we guarantee that there will be no more spills after the clean up?”

Jongdae’s grin is serene. “And what other way could we guarantee it, but by giving him one of man’s greatest innovations since the spork?”

 

And he slow claps for his ingenuity, and pats the elder's back oh, so gently. “Now that, Junmyeon, is a  _ great  _ evasion tactic. Did we get anymore spills after that? No, of course we didn't. The other guests saw him with it, so they were more careful with their drinks. 

It's a win-win situation, Jun!” Jongdae says gleefully. His public speaking classes have been paying off well.

 

The manager, on the other hand, could only blink in response. His anger was slipping from his grip, as he chuckled along.

His small bursts of mirth seemed to have no end, since Jongdae had already snuck himself back into the employees’ lounge, and Junmyeon was still laughing by himself at the counter.

 

Entering, he notices that there had been a few of the other employees who seem to have been waiting for his return.

“So! How was it!” One of the sous chefs, Chanyeol, asks. The guy spoke like his words and sentences were always ended by an exclamation point, Jongdae had to pull away to clear his ears of the other man's ringing voice.

 

“T’was all or naught, amirite?” One of the lady servers, Amber, a Shakespeare buff, says from behind him. “I heard the guy left you some spoils— I mean, I think he left you a tip,” she says, scolding herself for speaking like it's the 16th century all over again.

Jongdae only laughs, and nods before he enters the manager’s office, where the lady handling their finances and the register, Joohyun, sat in her half of the office.

 

“What's the matter, Jongdae? Junmyeon biting your ass again?” The lady was seated at her table, balancing their accounts.

Jongdae winces at the term, “Noona, don't do that.” He sits across her, laying his head against her laptop.

 

“Do what, Dae?” She says absently, but Jongdae was so sure she was grinning.

“Oh, you know? Use  _ those  _ kinds of words. They sound gross when it comes from you and, or Junmyeon,” he whines, playing with the snowglobe on her desk, a gift from Jongdae.

 

“Oh, come on. Your hyung and I are trying our best to sound cool and hip like you young'uns,” she says, a triumphant smile adorning her pretty face is what greets Jongdae when she closes her laptop shut, and looks at him.

“What seems to be the problem, Dae? Anything I can help you with?” She asks slowly, giving him a gentle smile that he was so sure was what drove Junmyeon at his wit's end just to win the smart, and pretty girl’s heart.

 

Anyone would submit themselves at her feet, he reckons. But not Kim Jongdae, no.

In fact, he looks up to Joohyun. How she’s so pretty and smart, how she has people clamoring at her feet to greet her, when all she just did was smile.

 

_ ‘How effortless her beauty is’, _ Jongdae would always think to himself, as he observed her.

“Ah, no. Amber told me a guest left me a tip?” He asks, flipping through the phone book where the snowglobe is perched high.

 

“Oh! Yes, I remember now,” she says, as she reaches from her extra large handbag what seems to be a folded paper towel.

“The guest at the table you and Jaehyun, I think, attended to, left you a tip. Oh, and a note, too,” she says, handing them to Jongdae to check.

  
  


_ “For Mr. Chen, _

 

_ Thank you for the wonderful evening and the masterful evasion tactic. I commend your ingenuity and humour.  _

 

_ — B” _

 

“Aww, that was sweet of him,” Joohyun says.

“Yeah, and loaded too,” Jongdae says, as he holds up a bill for Joohyun to see. 

Her eyes grow wide as saucers. “Wow, he must  _ really  _ like you, Dae.” She lets out a low whistle. 

  
  


_ Is there even anything she can't do perfectly? _

 

Pouting, Jongdae pockets the bill and gives the lady a hug, before bidding her farewell and a good evening.

After getting his things and his coat, he sets off for his apartment. On the way there, he turns his phone on. 

 

He sees a notification from the dating app. 

  
  


 

_ 1 new message. _

  
  


**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

 

After that one fateful date, they go on a bunch of other dates, both blissed out and living in the moment. That is until finally, the senior had to graduate college. And leave poor Baekhyun.

And the senior oh, so kindly dumps him. Telling him something along the lines of  _ “I'm worried for my future.. for OUR future, and your future too,”  _ and the classic,  _ “I guess we’re just not meant to be.. I'm sure you'll find someone who will love you as much as you do,”  _ and then she leaves for America, hoping to follow her dreams there, and start a new life and career for herself.

 

Baekhyun was down in the dumps, after that. And he was only in his sophomore year, and things couldn't get any more difficult.

A Fine Arts major was not everyone's cup of tea, nor was it for everyone too. Baekhyun was lucky he found himself poring over advertising magazines in high school, enamored at the wittiness and creativity of the ads’ artists.

 

He also dabbled in a bit of fashion design. Luckily, his family were very supportive of his dreams, despite them not being as conventional as your typical  _ #AsianFamilyGoals _ .

Soon, he was back to his old, usual self after a couple months of moping about. His younger friend, Sehun, had to wrestle his phone from his hands so he could do God’s work.

 

“The Devil works hard, but God works harder.” Sehun says, sitting on the elder's back so he couldn't fight  _ back. _

“And Sehun works  _ harder-er!” _ Sehun cheers while Baekhyun yelps. He jumps off the elder's back and runs towards the kitchen.

 

That was when Minseok, Baekhyun's roommate, comes in. “ _ Harder-er?  _ Really now, Sehun? I thought you were dumb, but not  _ that  _ dumb,” he shakes his head dismissively before going into the bathroom.

After they hear the resounding _ click!  _ of the lock from inside, Sehun comes back, shoulders sagging, visibly disheartened.

 

“My heart just got broken, and so did yours. But let's focus on the fresh wound in my heart later after we get  _ you _ a date!” Sehun says mischievously. 

He sat luxuriously on Baekhyun's ratty sofa as he scrolled down some app he downloaded specifically to cater to his (and Baekhyun’s) needs.

 

Baekhyun sits defeatedly on the floor as he picks his scattered notes and pens up. He knows he can't fight the kid, both physically and metaphorically.

Even on social media, it’s a constant Daily Baekhyun Roast Fest whenever Sehun's online.

 

In the middle of gathering his coloured pens, he feels Sehun nudging him from the back of his head.

“Hey, hyung check this guy out!” He hears Sehun say.

 

The nudging continues, since Baekhyun all but looks down at his lap, counting his pens if they were all there.

“Ya, Baekhyun!” Sehun yells, nudging Baekhyun's head hard that he falls face first. 

 

“Knock it off, man!” Baekhyun screeches, as he catches himself by holding onto the coffee table.

“Hyung, I just found the  _ right one _ for you!” Sehun cheers, giving Baekhyun a rather  _ enthusiastic _ pat on the back.

 

“I mean it, Sehun. Quit it,” Baekhyun says, rubbing the back of his sore head as he stood up. He puts his pens back in his pen case, which he throws towards his bed.

The pouch lands with a dull thud on his pillow.

 

“No, man, this guy likes that stupid cartoon show you watch!” Sehun exclaims, handing the phone back to Baekhyun to show him.

Surely, Baekhyun thought, there wouldn't be anyone in the world who would like  _ Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!  _ as much as he did.

 

Maybe in other parts of the world, sure. But in South Korea? Unlikely.  _ Highly  _ unlikely.

 

But he still looks just to make sure.

  
  


**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

 

Jongdae had been exchanging messages with this person over at the dating app for some days now. 

It seemed to his friends and coworkers (read: the same people) that they were dating.

 

But as much as Jongdae wanted to claim labels, he has yet to meet this mystery person. 

 

Said person was the one who messaged him that one night. 

Jongdae had been an excited, giddy mess all the way home. 

 

Once he entered his room, even without changing out of his outside clothes, he plops himself down his bed, and opens the application.

And there was  _ the  _ message from a user who had puppet!Daphne as their profile picture. 

  
  


Jongdae almost threw his phone across his room.

 

He has never met anyone who liked the show like he did. He tried getting his friends to watch the show too, but all he got back were sneers and criticism thrown in his face.

So now that he has seen someone who at least  _ watches  _ the show, everything seemed so unreal.

 

_ “DaphneB.”  _ According to their profile, had no gender specified. Jongdae just thought they were one of those who thought genders were conventional, and he was fine with that.

He would respect anyone, regardless of gender, religion, or race, much more so that they watch  _ Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!  _ too.

 

They said they just felt a strong affinity towards the rich, quirky girl.

Jongdae also liked the character, as much as he loved Velma, who was, according to his friends, like a 2D, girl version of him.

 

Both of them are nerdy, whiz kids, so Jongdae took that as a compliment. 

  
  


**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

 

“Their name is  _ JongDinkley,  _ what the heck? A Velma fan? My gay fantasies, oh my Lord,” Baekhyun all but spazzes in front of Minseok.

“Dude, chill. You haven’t even met the guy yet, and now you want to fulfill your deepest, darkest, kinkiest, gay fantasies with them? Yikes, this show is  _ nasty,”  _ the older man clicks his tongue.

 

Sehun had already left, just in time when Minseok had stepped out of the bathroom, shirtless and dripping wet.

Saying something about watering his cactus before he hastily made his way out the apartment. 

 

“What's that guy’s deal, anyway?” Minseok asks, running a towel through his hair.

“Don't mind him too much, let's check this guy out, hyung.” Baekhyun tells the other, as he moves his butt to give space for the other to sit on the ratty couch.

 

The profile was barren, save for a couple of blurry selfies, and one picture of a smiley, happy Shiba pup. The person has Velma in a sweater and grandma glasses on their profile picture. Baekhyun can vividly recall that episode; even quote the whole thing, as he has memorised it by heart with how many times he’s watched it.

  
  


“Ooh, I wonder what their favourite episode is?” Baekhyun says out loud.

“Why don't you ask them out?” Minseok says a little too bluntly.

 

“ _ What?”  _ Baekhyun chokes on his spit, sputtering at the elder's statement.

“I can't do  _ that!”  _ He adds, dropping the phone unceremoniously beside him to look at his roommate in the face.

  
  


“And why the heck not?” Minseok asks from his seat, where he eyes Baekhyun incredulously. He takes the phone to check. 

“Let me do the messaging for you, then.” He calmly says, before an ear-splitting grin blooms on the elder's child-like face.

 

“ _ What!  _ No, wait, give it back!” Baekhyun screeches, tripping on his own feet just to get his phone back.

But the Criminology major had quicker reflexes, and was more agile than Baekhyun, despite being more built than the younger.

 

“Here you go, then. You have a date this coming Saturday. You're welcome,” Minseok grins innocently, before gingerly placing the gadget on Baekhyun's palms, and leaving to get dressed in his room.

Still unsure how to take the message back, he shuts his eyes, but opens them one by one to peek.

  
  
  


**DaphneB.**

_ Date this Saturday? Yes or yes? ;-) _

_ We can marathon back at my place, after _

_ :))))))) _

 

**JongDinkley**

_ Oh wow. _

_ That was quick. _

_ I was wondering myself how to ask you out, _

_ So I'm glad you asked first. _

_ Sure! ^^ _

_ I'm actually more excited for the marathon than the date, no offense!  _

 

**DaphneB.**

_ None taken ;-) _

_ I’ll message you again Saturday morning, sweet cheeks  _

_ Good night :* _

 

**JongDinkley**

_ My, what a charmer you are _

_ Yeah, see you Saturday! _

_ Sleep tight, xoxo _

  
  
  


“You can buy me a bag of those coffee beans from Starbucks as payment, by the way!” Baekhyun hears Minseok yell from his room.

Baekhyun shakes his head dismissively, but agrees (in his mind) nonetheless.

  
  


**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

 

Jongdae was jumpy.

  
  


Like,  _ 1 gallon of coffee _ , jumpy. 

It was  _ finally  _ Saturday, and he and  _ DaphneB.  _ had agreed on going to a good diner he’s recommended by his friends.

He had asked his coworkers for tips on what to wear, and Jongdae decided on simply wearing a shirt and one of his best jeans and shoes, topped with a leather jacket Johnny, one of the younger waiters, loaned him.

 

Jongdae had been to this diner already. He’s had their pizza fries, chocolate milkshake, and some of their specialty cake there with Chanyeol and Amber.

He received a message from his  _ date  _ to order for them, as they would be running a little late. 

 

He asks Chanyeol what he could order for a date from the diner.

The sous chef, surprisingly, replies almost instantly. He said to get two large servings of their mac 'n’ cheese, two root beer floats, and their famous pizza fries to share.

 

So Jongdae orders them by reading the list from his phone. The one who takes them was his younger brother, Jongin.

Said brother still lived with their parents, but will live with him starting next term, as he had finished high school by then.

 

After ordering, Jongin chatted with him for a while, since there weren't much tables to be attended to.

The younger says he’ll quit his job at the diner, and join his brother to work at their cousin Junmyeon's restaurant this summer.

 

Jongdae was all too happy and excited for how things will go by the end of this hell semester that he forgoes his phone in the jacket pocket.

He fails to check his phone one last time.

  
  


His date  _ was  _ running late. A little _ too late _ , if you asked Jongin, who told Jongdae he should start eating his mac 'n’ cheese before it gets too cold, and it wouldn't be too good and enjoyable.

Jongdae starts eating half-heartedly, picking at his meal. 

 

_ ‘Maybe I got too excited for nothing’, _ Jongdae thought dejectedly. He sighs before starting to eat the pasta.

_ ‘That’s one good mac 'n' cheese’, _ he thinks to himself as he savours the different flavours of cheese rolling on his tongue.

 

Just as he was on his fourth mouthful, someone comes barrelling into the diner. Someone with shoulder length brown hair, someone who was wearing a sailor uniform-ish dress, someone who was  _ Jongdae’s date _ .

 

Startling at the sudden intrusion, the person bows an apology, still panting from all the running. They keep their head down, maybe in embarrassment that they had kept their date waiting that they had already started eating.

Jongdae carefully reaches out to them, and pats the top of their head gently, a sign that he has forgiven his date.

 

Jongdae knew little to nothing about his date, but he was willing to take things slow with them.

Even the fact if they were mute, or the topic of their gender identity, Jongdae was willing to discuss them some other time.

 

But for now, their pasta is getting cold, so he gestures for his date to take their seat and start eating.

Jongdae had already paid for their meals, and he’d feel bad if his date hadn't enjoyed it as much as he did.

  
  


And they did eat.

 

Or rather, his date wolfed down their pasta, as if there was no tomorrow. But they  _ did  _ run going there, so Jongdae was alright with it.

At least they didn't spill their food, or drinks, or else Jongin would have put his date’s drink in a  _ sippy cup _ , as he was so sure his younger brother shared his taste in humour.

 

Now that he thought of it again, he recalls the guy from last time who tipped him handsomely, even after he joked, and gave him his wine in a sippy cup.

He wonders if this was what that guy's date felt like. His thoughts wander from one topic to another, that he jerks in surprise when  _ someone,  _ or rather his  _ date,  _ touches his hand, and rubs comforting motions on it as they ate.

 

Jongdae relaxed at the touch.

His date has soft hands, and pretty fingers too, he notices. He looks at his date, who has kept their head down for the most part of the date.

 

_ 'Maybe they're really shy, and it's their first time meeting someone who likes BCSD, and they  _ did  _ run late’,  _ Jongdae reasoned with himself.

Throughout their meal, he held hands with his date, who would squeeze his hand every now and then, that Jongdae took as a sign of their elation, or that they liked what they were eating.

 

Jongdae grins knowing his date was enjoying the meal, despite the blanket of awkwardness wrapped around them.

Once they had both finished their pasta and fries, Jongdae hollers to Jongin for some of their cake for the day.

 

“Got it! Be with you guys in a minute!” He hears his brother yell from the other side of the diner.

He could feel his date's hand stiffen at the sound of his brother’s voice.

 

Sure, his younger brother always sounded like he was angry every time he yelled, but that was probably just because of his times at the Drama Club in his high school.

Jongdae had gone to some of his brother's plays, and he is always swayed by how amazing his brother was, and took his roles so seriously.

 

_ 'Maybe his character for his last play in high school is a gangster, that's why he sounds like that’,  _ Jongdae reasons with himself. 

Before he even caught himself, the soft warmth of his date's hand has left his.

  
  


That was when he looks up, and sees his date getting up. They give Jongdae a deeper, more apologetic bow this time.

_ 'Oh no!’  _ Jongdae thinks. His date is making a run for it!

 

Was he too nosey? Had Jongdae farted unconsciously, too caught up in his thoughts, that he scared his date away?

Yet again too caught up in his thoughts he missed his date running out, just as Jongin came by with two slices of triple chocolate cake.

 

“Where's your date, hyung?” Jongin asks, with Jongdae sitting still in shock as he watches his date go, too stupefied to even move, or regard his brother.

“Oh, hyung. Don't worry about her, she must not be worth it if they ran away from your fart,” the younger jokes, as he takes the seat from across his older brother, blocking his view of the door.

 

“Oh, well. Their loss.” Jongin shrugs. “Can I have her cake, hyung?” He adds, placing the other plate in front of the elder.

Jongdae just dismisses the other blankly, poking at the dessert in front of him.

 

“Y’know, hyung, I have this friend, his name is Sehun.” Jongin tells his brother.

“Sehun, y’know? He has this older friend who's around the same age as you, he says he's single too,” Jongin says around his fork.

 

At that, Jongdae heaves a long, dragged out sigh. “It's fine, Jongin. I don't think I'm ready for a relationship right now, since my last, and most recent date just ended up in flames, in case you hadn't noticed yet.”

Jongin snorts as he reaches out towards his brother's drink, and takes a long gulp from it.

 

“Don't worry too much about that, hyung. Things’ll get better” Jongin says. “I hope,” he burps out.

  
  


**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

 

Baekhyun had  _ never  _ gone out on a date since that Major Senior Breakup, so now that he has a scheduled date coming in less than ten hours, he can't even sit tight.

He barely even registers Minseok’s comments of him acting like he's  _ “sharing his first night together with his newlywed husband”  _ as if anyone below fifty even says things like that anymore.

 

He only snaps out of his train of thoughts when Minseok trips, and falls on top of him.

Despite being the shorter of the both of them, the elder was bulkier, and had more toned muscles than Baekhyun, so the younger was left scrambling for breath from underneath.

 

Minseok,  _ that devil,  _ had chosen his position to be the best for scrolling down his phone, while checking out every of his few social media accounts.

Baekhyun, on the other hand, had just let out a not-so-exaggerated choking sound, while hitting the elder on the arm.

 

“Are you done acting like a virginal bride?” Minseok says over the loud music coming from his phone.

Sputtering out an affirmative, Minseok rolls over, and lets his younger roommate crawl out towards the center of the living room for more breathing space.

 

Minseok chooses to occupy the ratty couch by lying down on it, head propped up by one of Baekhyun's SNSD throw pillows.

“You're so dramatic sometimes,” he adds for good measure, looking away from his phone for a split second to eye Baekhyun as the younger sits on the other end of the couch.

 

“I don't know, hyung. I feel queasy for some reason,” Baekhyun admits. “And it's not the good kind of queasy, too.” He adds.

“I want to go on this date, but I'm afraid it might blow up on my face again,” he says, playing with the ripped holes on the elder's jeans.

 

“The only thing that's gonna blow up on your face is this guy's dick when you t—“ Minseok doesn't get the chance to finish because Baekhyun smothers his face with the Jessica throw pillow.

Pushing the offensive pillow away from his face, Minseok sits back up, properly this time, so he could fight Baekhyun off easily.

 

“It's only the first date! What are you talking about!” Baekhyun screeches. It wasn't even a question anymore. “I thought you said no sex until after the third one?” he adds, face heating up at the thought.

“Hey, I mean, if you want to ride the guy’s dick so bad, I say you go for it, man.” Minseok shrugs in reply. He wasn't  _ that _ awake yet to be having this kind of conversation.

  
  


“But hyung! It's in  _ six hours!  _ What am I supposed to do?” Baekhyun panics.

“It's just a date, hey. Calm down, Baek.” the elder reassures his younger roommate, as he gingerly pats him on the head like a puppy.

 

“I  _ know  _ it's just a date. But I have this feeling that I don't want to lose this guy, like, I'm kinda sure that this guy is gonna be good for me,” Baekhyun voices out his emotions.

He wasn't good at expressing his repressed feelings, as did Minseok. That's why when one of them starts talking about feelings, they both know they were very serious.

 

“Look, Baek. Jokes aside, I think you're gonna rock this guy's socks off! I mean it, hey don't give me that dirty look. And I'm sure it isn't just for the sex stuff,” Minseok reassures, hoping the younger would get his message, and start getting ready already, instead of moping about.

“Alright.” Baekhyun answers finally.

 

“That's more like it. That's the confident Baekhyun we all know and love,” the elder says, this time playfully messing with the younger’s hair.

“I should go get ready..my clothes,” Baekhyun says absently, as he starts for his room, before he starts going around the flat like a whirlwind.

  
  


**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

 

For the most part, Baekhyun hadn't expected this turn of events. 

  
  


The  _ “turn of events _ ” he was talking about was the fact that he had arrived earlier, in slight panic, to the diner he and his date had agreed to go have dinner at.

In his panicked state, he was able to discern a face he hasn't seen in how long ago, yet so familiar to him.

 

From inside the diner, he was sitting at a booth near the large glass window. Outside, he sees the  _ waiter  _ from when he was on a date with his now ex,  _ the one _ waiter who gave him a refill of his wine in a  _ sippy cup. _

The one guy he never shut up about, even after  _ days  _ and  _ weeks  _ since the date.

 

As much as Baekhyun didn't want to assume, his gut was telling him that this guy was his date, and it was telling him to  _ run,  _ for some reason he couldn't understand from all the rumbling sounds his gut was making.

As if someone heard his guts making a riot, a waiter from the diner approaches him. He was sure the guy doesn't know him by face, but Baekhyun sure as hell knows this guy.

  
  


It was one of Sehun's friends from Drama Club. His name was Jong-something, yeah. 

“Have you decided on what you're getting yet? I can hear your stomach growling from the counter,” the guy jokes, but the grin on his face says something else.

 

From his peripheral view, he sees  _ his  _ waiter walking aimlessly all over the place outside. He was probably walking out the stress. That, or he went to the diner a bit early too, and was walking around to spend the time, instead of just waiting inside.

 

Which works well for Baekhyun, too, because he thinks he’d just answer dumbly if he were put on the spot for a quick, casual Q & A. 

He then hears the diner waiter, Sehun's friend, mumble something that sounded suspiciously like,  _ “What the heck is this hyung even doing like a psycho outside?”  _ And no, Baekhyun was not eavesdropping.

  
  


“So! Have you decided on what to get yet?” he asks Baekhyun again, whose eyes were obviously watching the guy outside, as he walks around the front of the diner. 

“Huh? Oh, don't mind that guy, he’s my older brother. He’s probably just wasting time because he arrived too early, probably too excited for something,” the waiter, Jong-something, just so casually shares.

 

Baekhyun just gapes at him. Making a show of checking his inbox until he finds one of the most recently sent messages saying they're bailing out on him.

“My uh, my friend said they're bailing out on me,” he says, just like how his mind said so, too. As if the waiter was a mind reader, he leaned in closer towards Baekhyun.

 

“Well, you can  _ still  _ order for yourself, right?” He says, as one of his perfectly shaped eyebrows raise up while he looked at Baekhyun for an answer.

“A-actually, I uhh, I was supposed to be uh, treated by t-that friend. So I s-should get going n-now!” Baekhyun managed to stutter in all his panicked state. He makes a gesture that says he's leaving, and  _ praise Heavens above,  _ the waiter steps aside, and lets him.

  
  


Outside, he remembers texting  _ JongDinkley  _ he’s bailing, and can't come, for some vague reason, before he runs to the back alley so he doesn't have to see, or let the other guy pacing back and forth in front of the diner, see him. As much as he  _ knew _ in himself that this guy was his supposed date, he just  _ couldn't _ face him.

 

_ At least not like this… _

  
  


**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

 

Baekhyun thought things couldn't get any worse than the Diner Scene, when from all his running, he bumps into someone’s chest so hard, he falls back on his butt.

Looking up, he sees the smug smile of Sehun akin to that of Satan's, as if the Devil himself just sat and spat the kid out of his own mouth like poison.

 

“What's up, hyung?” Came the Devil's Advocate's annoying voice.

 

On normal days, Baekhyun would have been tuning out the kid’s voice, for his own safety, and sanity. But today was not a normal day. 

He figured as much when he started blabbing to the younger about what happened, to letting himself get manhandled Sehun, only being released from the kid's iron grip when they reach Sehun's Drama Studio, where he and his Drama Club pals hang out after the school closes, or when there aren't any classes and they needed to rehearse.

 

Sehun didn't even bother knocking, he just pushed the door open with his butt, then closed it with a kick, and then there were lights in Baekhyun's eyes.

  
  


There was a girl there inside the studio, whom Sehun started talking animatedly with. The girl just stares at Sehun, judging him with her hand on her hip, but nonetheless nods at whatever Sehun said to her.

Then, she approaches Baekhyun. In a very pretty, and bored voice, she starts talking to Baekhyun.

 

“Hey. My name's Krystal, I work with the costumes and makeup department for our play productions. Sehun just told me you didn't want your date to find out you were a guy, so I'm gonna work my magic on you, and hopefully you'll look like the prettiest girl he’ll ever have laid his eyes on. Or laid  _ with _ . I really don't care which one,” she says as she ushers Baekhyun towards one of the spinning chairs in front of a vanity. 

 

She flips a switch from behind her, turning on the lights on the vanity, successfully blinding Baekhyun until after the  _ “transformation”  _ has been done.

With Baekhyun's eyes still shut at the rage of the lightbulbs in front of him, Krystal was able to work efficiently, and quickly. 

  
  


Baekhyun, according to Krystal's own evaluation whilst she was dabbing cold creams and liquids on his face, was a good enough canvas to work with.

Or rather, light makeup would do just the trick to, well,  _ trick  _ the guy into thinking he was a very pretty girl. 

 

When Krystal was done, she flicked off the lights, and  _ made  _ Baekhyun open his eyes to see the masterpiece she had done on him.

After getting up from _literally_ falling off the chair, Baekhyun was appalled at his transformation. He looked like a _carbon copy_ _of his ex!_ Not that he meant anything less of her, but she was really pretty. And Baekhyun is _just as pretty_ as her. 

 

Before he could even get a word out, clothes were shoved into his arms, and he was unwillingly shoved into a changing room.

He inspects the clothes given to him, and he almost yelled at the  _ dress  _ and wig he was given.

 

“Put the wig on  _ after _ you get dressed!” Came Sehun's words, before he starts ignoring Baekhyun's wails of anguish, and starts talking with the Krystal girl again.

Sighing dejectedly, Baekhyun still puts on the dress. He kept his boxers on, for safety measures.  _ Then  _ he puts on the wig.

 

He steps out of the dressing room, and Sehun looks towards him. Judging by Sehun's jaw dropping, and high pitched squeal, Baekhyun looked  _ fine. Hella  _ fine.

Krystal only slow clapped, and patted her own back, congratulating herself for doing a great job. Though admittedly, Baekhyun was the best work she will have ever made throughout her entire Drama Club stay.

  
  


“Well? What do you say?” Sehun walks toward him, his long, gangly arms crossed in front of his chest. Sighing, Baekhyun copies his pose.

“Thank you, Krystal and Sehun for, well, all of  _ this,”  _ he says through his teeth, while he gestures slightly at the dress by swaying his hips a little, so the skirt makes a little flip.

 

“N _ ooo,  _ I mean the,  _ wait!  _ Okay, I mean  _ that too,  _ but what can you say about your  _ transformation?  _ Feel like marching back to that date and acing it? Eh? This is the same guy I showed you, right?” Sehun says excitedly.

Baekhyun sighs while he nods, and Sehun just squeals again. Krystal just stood there like the two men were embarrassing her ( _ they were _ ).

  
  


After Sehun cried like a mum proud of her kid going to school on their first day, Baekhyun had to run away from the embarrassing guy.

He wanted to make a run for his apartment, but he didn't want to waste the makeover, and as he passed a shop window, he saw his reflection, and God  _ damn  _ was he smoking hot.

 

Grinning, and affirming his conviction, he sets out running for the diner. He also wanted to try the food there, and  _ his date  _ looked like the type to pay for their food. 

So he made a mad run for it, seeing as the skies got a tad bit darker.

 

Letting his imagination run wild, he’d think the clouds gave him the idea this was what his date would be feeling.

Granted, the skies cleared when he arrived outside the diner. He was still panting when he entered. He saw the guy,  _ the guy  _ who liked  _ Be Cool, Scooby-Doo  _ as much as he did, sitting at the booth he had occupied earlier.

  
  


Surely, his voice would be recognised, so he decided to give the guy a heartfelt, 90 degree bow, as apology.

Soon, he feels a series of light pats on top if his head. Good thing the wig wasn't itchy on his face, but rather it was smooth, and felt like his own hair.

 

He looks up only a fraction, and see the guy smiling warmly at him, and gestures for Baekhyun to sit down, and eat.

For the most part, Baekhyun had his head down, as he wolfed down his food. It was only his first time at this diner, but after this date, he was sure he’d visit more frequently now.

 

While eating, he noticed the other guy’s hand was shaking. Acting on his instinct, he extends his own hand, and puts it on top of his date's.

Under his own fingers, he could feel how cold and clammy the guy’s hand was. He must be just as nervous as Baekhyun was. And  _ he  _ was the one who couldn't get a word out.

  
  


The food was amazing, just as he had expected. The ambiance was nice, and reminded him of a retro diner from one of those shows on Netflix, so it was pretty chill.

And his date's hand had started warming up under Baekhyun's touch, and that made his heart tingle in glee. He was just about to look up, and thank the guy for a great time, despite his tardiness and lack of talking, when his date had called for some cake.

 

And who else was the waiter in charge but the waiter who had attended to him earlier, the same guy who is  _ most definitely _ Sehun's friend. The warm, fluffy feeling he had inside started to get cold, and his heart started pounding heavily for no reason.

Was he afraid of rejection? Or the idea of the two guys, the two  _ brothers _ making fun of him?

 

Instinctively, he retracts his hand from where it was snugly entwined with his date, which he didn't mind at all.

Then, without a shred of doubt, but doused in a gallon of guilt, he bows another, but this time deeper, 90-degree to his date, and.

  
  


_ He makes a run for it. _

  
  


**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

 

Not surprisingly though, he had gotten an earful from both his elder and younger friends. 

  
  


Sure, he had taken a liking to the guy. And they both liked  _ Be Cool, Scooby-Doo,  _ okay. But the thought of the  _ other guy,  _ whose real name he has yet to find out, remembering him from  _ that one time _ , making fun of him, and getting the brunt of the humiliation was something Baekhyun could  _ never  _ take.

And he just acted on his instincts. Something his own anxiety-driven, past self had taught himself to do when faced with a greater fear that he knows could just take a snap of the fingers for him to crumble.

 

Not many people know of this side to Baekhyun. Not even his roommate, his friends, or even his ex. This was always what's stopping Baekhyun, what's hindering him from conquering his  _ own  _ Goliath. And the chilling feelings are back, and creeping up on his spine, and he feels small, and weak again. 

Minseok and Sehun leave him alone after seeing that Baekhyun wasn't in any condition to talk right now. They tuck him into bed and wish him a good night's sleep. 

  
  


But he could only stare blankly up the ceiling as the empty feeling ate him away on the inside.

  
  


**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

 

It had been  _ weeks  _ since the  _ horrid _ date Jongdae had gone on. And for the record, he only checked his phone when he got home. He saw a message from  _ DaphneB.  _ saying they  _ couldn't make it  _ to the date. 

“Then, who was that girl?” He asked himself once he entered his room. But he lets sleep take over him, since he has work tomorrow.

  
  


None of his workmates seemed to be in the mood for jokes and poking fun at Jongdae’s circumstances, so they leave him alone. 

Or at least, they don't tease him about it. Some would just give him words of encouragement and leave uplifting notes written on table napkins inside his locker, or under his plate during his break.

 

Some, like Chanyeol and Amber, even offered to trash the person on SNS, and have her usually-calm-but-now-angered boyfriend to put some laxatives in her food when she drops by the restaurant, respectively. 

Now  _ this _ made Jongdae laugh. The idea of Kyungsoo putting anything nowhere near edible in a guest’s food was unlikely. And he was delighted that his friends would even dare break some rules for him.

  
  


And in no time at all, he was back to his old, jolly self.

  
  


**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

 

It was a rather busy night at the restaurant, and the servers barely had a meal break with the numerous reservations they had to attend to; they weren't even able to accept walk-ins. 

Jongdae, much like most of his coworkers, could only take two water breaks and three bathroom breaks. He will make sure to convince Joohyun and Junmyeon to add an extra meal to their bi-weekly compensation for this one night.

 

He had forgotten about The Date Incident, what with all the bustling about he was doing at the restaurant.

And he was at peace with himself, and had forgiven his date from what happened then.

 

He doesn't let himself get distracted with his own personal affairs, as he was supposed to be working now.

So he tucks away his thoughts as he plasters a well mannered smile as he strides towards a table where he sees someone wave for him.

  
  


_ There will come a time for his own feelings, but not tonight _ .

  
  


**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

 

After collecting himself and finally start coming up for air from his own cesspool of teen angst, drama and self doubt, Baekhyun starts working himself until he can’t open his eyes anymore from staring at his laptop screen for so long.

He’s been working on his research papers and designs the moment he steps out of the shower, two days after the Date Incident.

 

Minseok has half a mind to stay out of the younger’s way, but he makes sure to check on him every time he can. Sometimes he’d call up Sehun or Yixing, another one of their friends, to check up on Baekhyun when he has classes to attend.

Baekhyun also attends his lectures diligently, as if he's a soulless shell walking around. He doesn't even hang around much anymore; he only goes to classes and goes back home after it, no more sidetracking adventures.

 

No one had expected this Event to hit Baekhyun hard enough for him to lock himself up, and back away in uncertainty and fear.

So one time Minseok had had enough of the moping, and the more or less living with a  _ non-living  _ flatmate, that he  _ literally  _ locks Baekhyun out of the shared flat.

 

Albeit disheartening, Baekhyun understands. So he marches back down, and heads toward the street food stand outside the convenience store across their flat.

  
  


**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

 

After the grueling evening, Jongdae was let out to go home. Despite the very explicit instructions of Junmyeon and Joohyun to go straight home and rest, Jongdae decides to drop by the street food stalls down the block.

Kind of out his way home, since he takes the opposite road, but his stomach was growling for something cheap, spicy, and filling altogether. 

 

He reasons with himself that his paycheck wasn't coming until the next weekend, so he lets the aroma of the cheap, hot food lead him to the stall.

As per usual, the tables are all filled up with employees having drinks, or just casually getting their cravings satiated.

 

Save for one table where some guy is hunched over his own bowl of something, while he munches on some fish cakes.

Jongdae recognised the guy as the same one he gave a sippy cup to.

 

_ Wouldn't hurt to try and be friends, right? _

  
  


**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

 

So Baekhyun was sat there, in the middle of the sea of people eating and drinking, while he dips his fishcakes in the jjampong soup before taking a bite out of it.

He could have just made some ramen for himself back at his flat, but his roommate had locked him out, yelling something along the lines of  _ “Go get some real food, not just instant noodles! I’ll let you back in after an hour or so”  _ from the other side of the door.

 

Baekhyun had thought of getting some kimbap from the convenience store, but the salivating aroma of the hot snacks was beckoning him.

So he chose to grab a table and chair near the lady cooking, so he could ask for refills without having to get up.

 

The lady manning the stall knew him, and was more than happy to refill his soup and give him some crab sticks and an egg along with the fishcakes.

Baekhyun was delighted and satisfied with his meal. 

  
  


That is until, the eye of the storm approached him.

  
  


**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

 

“Hey there, don't move. Don't leave, please. So, uh, can I sit with you?” Jongdae says oh so slowly. 

The other guy just looked up at him, bewildered, and his expression was akin to that of a deer caught in headlights. 

 

The other guys sits back, and nods slowly, taking another bite of his fishcakes. 

And Jongdae feels at ease, as he lets his messenger bag slide off his shoulder, and down to the seat across the other guy.

 

“Let me just get some food for myself,” Jongdae says, mostly to himself. “Anything I can get you?” He asks instinctively.

The other guy looks up suddenly, but dismisses him with a shake of his head instead.

  
  


Their table was already situated almost beside the lady managing the stall, but Jongdae wanted to check what he could get for himself.

He noticed the other guy was having some jjampong. The smell of it was  _ amazing,  _ to say the least. 

 

But the hot tteokbokki had caught his attention, so he opted for that.

After telling the lady what he was getting, she looks at Jongdae, then at his table, where the guy is finishing his soup, before she adds a couple of crab sticks and a fishcake he didn't even ask for.

 

“Just a little freebie for that kid’s friends,” she says with a chuckle. “He’s a good kid,” she adds absently.

“Oh, and this one too.” She says, just as Jongdae was about to go back. She produces a bottle of soju and grabs two paper cups, and hands them to him.

 

“You can rest easy and eat your heart out. You can pay later before you leave. That boy knows the drill,” she says, as Jongdae just smiles in return, a form of his thanks.

He gets back to the table, just as the other guy is leaning back in his chair, as he stretches out his arm, while holding his bowl, extended towards the lady, who reaches for it and refills his soup cheerfully.

 

He sits, and sets his own bowl down, and the bottle of soju, which he pops open, and pours a cup for each of them. 

The guy across him is smiling, his bowl refilled with the steaming, hot soup, where a couple sticks of fishcakes stand.

 

“Ahh, I am a happy kid,” the guy says, as he lets the steam reach his face.

“The lady said she knows you. She gave me some crab, she thought we were friends,” Jongdae says. He wanted to hit himself for sounding so sad and forlorn. He didn't even notice that he had been pouting since saying that. 

  
  


But the guy did notice. He had, and he thought it was cute, so much, that he wanted to put the guy in his pocket and take him home. 

 

_ If   _ he wanted, too.

  
  


“Ah, she’s always like that if she knows someone. She gives extras and free food when she can. And it's getting late too, she doesn't like having to bring back home too much,” the guy explains.

“My name's Baekhyun, by the way,” the guy,  _ Baekhyun,  _ says around a mouthful of fishcake.

 

“I'm Jongdae.” He replies casually, a smile playing on his lips as he takes a forkful of his food. “Any more of that, and you’ll start growing scales,” he says, pointing at the fishcakes.

“Leave me be to enjoy the simple joys in life!” Baekhyun protests, waving a stick around.

 

“You haven't even had soju yet, and you're already inebriated,” Jongdae laughs. 

 

“Don't be mean!” Baekhyun says, as he reaches over for his cup.

And that got Jongdae laughing out loud. He couldn't help himself. The good food, the ambiance, and the amicable companion, he decided it's high time to let himself loose, and have fun while he's at it.

  
  


Little did he know, he had already started  _ falling _ .

  
  


**// >.>.>//>.>.>/>.>.>//**

 

After the unexpected arrival and a new friend, Baekhyun had realised he was having fun. 

He wondered, if he had gone to their date normally, would they have as much fun as they are having at the moment?

 

He was already feeling the soju kicking in, so he led the other guy,  _ Jongdae,  _ to the lady to pay for their food. 

When she counted the money, she gave back the exact amount for the soju. Which, not surprisingly, both he and Jongdae did not take. 

 

They instead got some steamed buns, so she didn't have to give back their money. 

Laughing, the lady did. And waved them off, telling them to come back again.

  
  


Baekhyun had told Jongdae that he just lived across the street. While on the other hand, he lived two blocks down the opposite way. 

And just like that, Baekhyun let his rationality out the window, and asked Jongdae if he wanted to take a walk for a while. 

  
  


He agreed. 

  
  


**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

 

Jongdae didn't know what got him to agree to go on a walk with Baekhyun. Maybe it was the soju, or the lack of welcoming warmth back at his place, or was it how Baekhyun's eyes were kind of glassy, and sparkling with conviction that whenever he would have asked, Jongdae felt like he couldn't say no to him.

So they walk together, side by side, in the chilly evening to the park just beside Baekhyun's apartment. 

 

There were sudden gusts of wind blowing through the trees, shaking their leaves, leaving a trail of fallen ones in its wake.

Or, in this case, on Baekhyun's head. Which Jongdae himself would gingerly pick out.

 

“Thanks,” Baekhyun mumbles, as he wraps his coat tighter around his shivering frame. “Gosh, I smell like tteokbokki and alcohol,” he says, as he sniffs his clothes for inspection.

“Well, I think you smell good.” Jongdae says firmly, turning to give Baekhyun a sly, playful wink, which begets him a bashful look back.

 

“Thanks, I use both my nostrils.” Baekhyun says sleepily. 

 

And this gets Jongdae almost doubled over in laughter, and Baekhyun looking lost.

“Why are you laughing, huh?” Baekhyun says through a yawn. 

 

_ He must be a lightweight _ , Jongdae thought, as he looks at his companion through the tears in his eyes, his companion who looks like he could fall asleep any moment now.

So, he leads them back to Baekhyun's apartment, where he rings the doorbell for him. Good thing Baekhyun was awake enough to keep himself upright.

 

Despite his protests to stay with him, Baekhyun makes Jongdae get on his way home, with promises of meeting again, next time.

With a smile playing on their lips, they wave each other a good evening, and a goodbye.

  
  


_ For now… _

  
  


**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

 

_ 2 years later… _

  
  


Two years later finds Jongdae sitting at the restaurant he works at, on a blind date he had never agreed on.

His date, another man around his age, was too busy devouring the carbonara on his plate to even notice the displeasure on Jongdae's face.

 

Surely, his friends had been busybodies who liked poking their noses in other people's business, which for this matter, was Jongdae's love life, or rather  _ lack  _ of it.

Which, Jongdae had full-on disagreed with. He tried telling his friends that he had a  _ boyfriend _ already, but none of those blokes would believe him, since Jongdae hasn't brought anyone home for that matter.

 

“Can I go home now?” Jongdae asks his date, who was waving for a server, probably to ask for a refill of his wine.

“Your omelette is getting cold. Eat up first,  _ then  _ we can leave.” His date says, as a server his junior, Yerim, refilled both their glasses. 

 

Just as she had left, Jongdae made a show of sipping his wine, before eating a forkful of his omelette.

“What makes you think  _ I'm _ leaving with  _ you? _ ” Jongdae asks, and his date has the gall to look affronted, as he dramatically gasps, and holds his chest in a rather uncharacteristically charming manner.

 

“Hmph! See if I ever drop my fork and blow you under the table right now,” he tries to threaten Jongdae, which is probably as terrifying as a bunny holding a knife pointed at him.

“How romantic of you,” Jongdae grumbles,as he picks on a stubborn piece of pepper, stabbing it repeatedly, until it jumps from his plate, and onto his date's pasta.

  
  


“Listen, I'm gonna have to come clean, I —” 

 

“ ‘ _ I'm gonna have to come clean’,  _ title of your sex tape,” Jongdae absently cuts in, as he continues eating his food.

 

“Are you always gonna do that? Well anyway, I actually just… went on this date for the free food! I admit it!” His date all, but dramatically exclaims, garnering some unsolicited glares, and sneers from nearby tables and servers.

And Jongdae, after holding himself back from any snarky reaction or just a slip of a giggle, or two, he lets himself laugh his heart out.

 

The hearty chuckle of his that only his  _ boyfriend _ was able to get him to make was laid out in front of him, and his date.

He was laughing so hard, that he chokes on his eggs, and a piece of onion shoots out of his nose, and this gets his date to laugh along, and their table was suddenly filled with laughter.

 

And for some reason, some tables had caught their infectious mirth, and had chuckled along with them, earning them a clap or two.

  
  


“Happy anniversary, Baekhyun,” Jongdae coughs, as he fondly looks toward his date, who was still catching his breath from all the laughing.

“Happy anniversary to you too, Jongdae.” The other responds, reaching out to hold hands.

  
  


And the look on their faces say they were content, happy, and overall in love.

  
  


**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

 

( _ “We should probably get some cake for Sehun and Jongin and the others,” _

 

_ “Can't we just have the cake to ourselves?” _

_ "We can invite them over. Your place, or mine?” _

 

_ “Yours. Your place is bigger. And I don't think Minseok hyung would mind,” _

_ “Of course he wouldn't. He likes you too much,” _

 

_ “But I like you too much, too!” _

_ “I like you too much, too!”) _

  
  


**// >.>.>//>.>.>//>.>.>//**

**Author's Note:**

> I noticed that there were LOOPHOLES so I have decided to add an extra chapter soon, ish, to fill those holes right up (no porn/pun intended)


End file.
